The MTA is modifying service on the city's subways, buses, and commuter rails for Christmas and New Year's. The subways and buses will both follow a Sunday schedule on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, this Thursday and next, according to the transit agency. On the day of Christmas Eve, Wednesday, the subways will run regular weekday service. Bus routes across Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Queens will operate on reduced weekday schedules on both the days of Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.
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On May 28, 2024, Lenore Elfand, the owner of Empire Cannabis Club, an unlicensed dispensary in New York's Chelsea neighborhood, received a frantic call from an employee. NYPD officers and deputies from the city's Sheriff's Office were lined up at the door, poised to raid the shop. Elfand said in an affidavit that when her security guard insisted on filming, officers placed him in handcuffs, killed the security cameras, and stormed in.
A Bronx murder suspect died of an apparent allergic reaction suffered while incarcerated on Rikers Island Sunday afternoon making him the 15th inmate of the troubled detention center to perish this year. Kyron Randall, 33, became ill at about 12:10 p.m. on Dec. 21 while in custody at the George R. Vierno Center on Rikers Island. According to the Correction Department, Randall allegedly suffered what is believed to be an allergic reaction.
An astonishing number of national chains, 18, shuttered all of their shops in the five boroughs. The total number of chain stores across the five boroughs fell for the sixth time in the past eight years-declining 1.3 percent citywide, or a net loss of 112 stores since last year, according to the Center for an Urban Future's annual State of the Chains 2025 report on December 17.
According to police sources, the incident unfolded at around 11 a.m. on Dec. 7 directly outside of 315 58th St. in Sunset Park. Cops say the victim engaged in a verbal dispute with the suspect just prior to the attack. Law enforcement sources said the perpetrator launched a punch that struck the senior's face before he fled the location. The incident was reported to the 72nd Precinct.
According to law enforcement sources, the 40-year-old victim was on a southbound R train at around 2 a.m. on Dec. 20 when the attack occurred. Police said the victim and suspect started arguing on the train when the situation escalated to violence. After an exchange of words, the suspect whipped out a knife and stabbed the victim multiple times in the torso and left leg.
The outgoing New York City Council used its last meeting of the 2024-2025 session on Thursday to pass landmark legislation expanding permitting and agency support for street vendors, affordable housing policy and worker protection laws. When you think about issues that affect working-class New Yorkers, this is a day to be proud of, said new Council Member Harvey Epstein. We're talking about worker protections, opportunities for more affordable housingThese are real ways to manage the affordability crisis, keep people in their homes
This comes as a New York State bill, entitled Keep Police Radio Public Act, passed by both the Assembly (A.3516) and the state Senate (S.416), and now awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature. She has till Friday to sign or veto the bill. It is unclear what she plans to do, but if she fails to act, the measure will automatically become law.
The projects - costing a combined $1.75 billion - are among the first round to be funded by revenue raised from congestion pricing, which was first implemented nearly a year ago. The state program raises funds for the MTA by charging drivers entering Manhattan below 60th Street a $9 base toll.
"We strongly support efforts to provide New Yorkers with world-class public transit," they wrote. "This bill does the opposite by raising MTA operating costs and constraining the MTA's ability to implement modern operating methods, adopt new technologies, and provide better service for riders."
One good way to help out this season is to partner with United Way of NYC, an organization with over 87 years of dedicated service. The nonprofit focuses on creating sustainable growth by addressing critical issues such as health, education and food security. Volunteers can help out by donating supplies like hygiene kits, school supplies, making financial donations or donating their time at one of the group's many toy drives.
The FDNY took on a five-alarm fire that tore through a Bronx building on Thursday night. At around 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 18, FDNY units responded to a call regarding a five-alarm fire at 855 Prospect Ave., which is located in a row of commercial buildings. The fire had started to extend to the nearby buildings. Units arrived in less than four minutes.
The New York City Council, in a marathon end-of-year meeting that lasted late into the night on December 18, passed the Aland Etienne Safety and Security Act, phasing in new minimum pay and benefits standards for this industry in New York City. The legislation, which still must be signed into law by the mayor, was sponsored by Speaker Adrienne Adams and dozens of co-sponsors, and heavily supported by 32BJ SEIU which represents 20,000 security guards
Authorities said the violence stemmed from a fight between both 12-year-olds just before 3 p.m. inside Betsy Head Park, near Thomas S. Boyland Street and Dumont Avenue in Brownsville. NYPD officers arrived to find the victim with a stab wound to his chest, and first responders took him to Brooklyn University Medical Center in critical but stable condition, according to officials.
For many of us, it's white tablecloths, servers in button-down shirts and aprons, big honkin' cuts of USDA prime beef alongside sides of glistening roasted potatoes, creamed spinach, and wedge salads covered in blue cheese dressing. However, not all steakhouses are created equal, and that's what makes this city and La Tete d'Or so darn special. Opened in November of 2024, La Tete d'Or is the brainchild of Daniel Boulud, a world-renowned French chef who has made New York City his home.
I really want New Yorkers to use my journey as a symbol, Adams said, describing his decision to return to the precinct. Even in the darkest moments of your life, it's about how you turn pain into purpose. Adams recalled that the incident at the 103rd Precinct pushed him toward activism and eventually a career in law enforcement, rather than bitterness. Sometimes we don't realize the darkest moments of your life are not a burial, but it's a planting, he said.
If you've spent any time on TikTok, YouTube, or listening to comedy podcasts while avoiding emails, you've probably encountered Hannah Berner. The Brooklyn born comedian, podcaster, and former tennis player has become the internet's reigning queen of relatable chaos. Her humor is sharp, her delivery is unbothered, and her ability to tell the truth in the most entertaining way possible is the exact energy New York requires.
Using parody lyrics, lots of Yuletide spirit and, of course, plenty of egg nog, these flamboyant flâneurs make a serious point about New York's sclerotic roadways: they don't have to be dangerous places for kids and lungs, but can be joyous spaces for people to walk around, shop, eat or just ... flâneur. So enjoy some of that seasonal spunk that the carolers spread all over 34th Avenue in Queens last week by singing along to these songs:
Following Thursday's proceedings, which lasted about 15 minutes, defense attorney Karen Agnifilo told reporters that her team had originally intended to question NYPD Det. Oscar Diaz, but the prosecution decided not to put him on the stand on short notice. The decision came after a rocky afternoon of testimony on Tuesday in which the prosecution abruptly decided to withdraw statements that Mangione made to NYPD investigators under interrogation shortly after his Dec. 9, 2024 arrest in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
A co-op owner is a person who buys shares in a corporation, which are then given to a specific apartment. In return, co-op owners are entitled to a long-term proprietary lease for the apartment. If Williams' bill is passed into law, co-op boards would be required to provide their reason for denying a sale to a potential buyer within five days of making their decision.
A judge scolded accused serial dine-and-dash diva Pei Chung as she traded her designer duds for prison scrubs in Brooklyn court Wednesday. Dressed in a drab olive-colored jail uniform, Chung, 34 - who allegedly skipped out on at least eight restaurant bills in a month - repeatedly interrupted Judge Orville Reynolds during her Brooklyn criminal court hearing. "When I speak you don't speak! Understand?!" Reynolds finally snapped.
The NYPD on Wednesday released photos of two suspects wanted in connection with a shooting at a Sweet 16 birthday party in Brooklyn this past weekend. The two gunmen are accused of shooting six people outside Burbuja Events on Atlantic Avenue around 1:15 a.m. on Dec. 14. When officers arrived, they found six victims ranging in age from 15 to 17.
If there was a non-Juan-Soto bright spot that emerged from the New York Mets' disastrous 2025 campaign, it was the emergence of Nolan McLean. The organization's top pitching prospect dazzled in his five-week MLB debut, going 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA in eight starts while setting some significant records along the way. Team USA came calling this week, as they added the 24-year-old to their roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which runs from March 5-17.
One lucky New Yorker just scored a $17,727.50 payday after purchasing a top-prize Take 5 ticket at a Brooklyn convenience store for Monday's midday drawing. The winning ticket was sold at Patel Enterprises, located at 1370 Pennsylvania Avenue in Brooklyn, according to officials with the New York Lottery. The prize came from the Take 5 Midday draw, which takes place every day at 2:30 p.m.
Bryant Park brings back their famous bumper cars on ice for another season! Growing up a city kid in Brooklyn, one of my favorite summer memories was the bumper cars on Coney Island. Now, kids and adults, too, can make a possibly more fun memory right in the middle of Midtown. The bumper cars on ice at Bank of America Winter Village in Bryant Park are coming back in January, and tickets are on sale now.
As families leave, our school enrollment declines, our tax base erodes, and neighborhood stability crumbles. The article highlights the fact that median asking rent for family-sized apartments with three or more bedrooms is now nearly $5,000 a month. That's impossibly high for so many, including those who were born and raised here. As a result, families are leaving New York City at higher rates than other demographic groups and at a higher rate than families are leaving other major cities.
When New Yorkers elected Zohran Mamdani as mayor in 2025, they did more than choose a political direction. They issued a mandate for structural change on housing, transit, affordability, and safety. Early voting check-ins reached historic levels, according to the NYC Board of Elections, and more than two million ballots were cast in the mayoral election, the highest turnout in at least 50 years.
Nov. 4, 2025, was a significant day for many Americans. As they do every two years, voters across the country carved out part of their day to visit their local polling places and cast ballots in their states' general elections. Often overshadowed by presidential elections, state legislative races tend to receive far less national attention. This is despite how local politics play a vital role in shaping the broader legislative landscape of the United States, one that ultimately influences decisions felt around the world.
Approval of all three New York City-area casino proposals became official on Monday when the state Gaming Commission green-lit plans for full table games and billions of dollars of new investment at three sites in Queens and the Bronx.
The project would repurpose an existing freight corridor running between Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and Jackson Heights, Queens, one of New York's most diverse neighborhoods - a line currently used to transport goods including flour and beer, earning it the nickname the "pizza-and-beer railroad." Because existing infrastructure is already in place, the MTA notes that the line could be built more easily than a brand-new subway route.
BROOKLYN, NY - Four people were injured in a five-alarm fire that ripped through a Borough Park bakery in the early morning hours of Wednesday, FDNY officials said. The blaze sparked on the first floor of 1285 36th St., between Clara Street and 13th Avenue about 2 a.m., according to the FDNY. The flames quickly spread to the rear of the two-story building. FDNY firefighters were still battling the blaze as of this morning, officials said.
Parks around the borough are offering lots of activities this month, including celebrating the winter solstice, birding, and hiking with horses. Brooklyn parks don't go quiet during the winter season, and for those looking to head outside as the year winds to a close there are lots of activities to enjoy. We've rounded up a selection of free events that offer a chance to explore the borough's flora and fauna.
